“You are a nation powerful for good,
Your cars and ships are loaded down with food,
Mighty with inventions, speedy with plans,
What is the matter, brave Americans?
“Arouse, great country, and if need there be
Break the Spanish bonds and set Cuba free;
Remember Spain is feeble, old and slow,
And lost her glory many years ago.
“Wars just for conquest there should never be,
But for the cause of life and liberty,
Nations may grasp the sword of righteousness,
Crush out tyranny and relieve distress.
“No other nation has courage to come,
All other countries to our cries are dumb,
Our prayers will be to our latest breath,
Come, blessed country, and save us from death.”
Thank God! our country heard the Cuban plea,
And gave notice to Spain: “This shall not be;
You must not murder and starve any more,
The innocent people so near our shore:”
“There are no reconcentrados now.”
Fired with pity, the American heart,
For humanity’s sake took Cuba’s part,
And with our heroes on sea and on land,
Soon opened the way for charity’s hand:
“There are no reconcentrados now.”
Forts were destroyed and the proud Spanish fleet,
And the Spanish army forced to retreat,
And soon as ever we possibly could,
We sent to the starving ship loads of food:
“There are no reconcentrados now.”
There has not been since history began
A grander act in the progress of man,
By so nobly taking poor Cuba’s part
A load was lifted from the human heart:
“There are no reconcentrados now.”
No braver men e’er fought for liberty,
Than risked their lives that Cuba might go free;
No holier triumph was ever won,
Since the record of war was first begun:
“There are no reconcentrados now.”
No other nation, either young or old,
Ever gave so many millions in gold,
To feed the starving and set the bond free,
In the grand cause of human liberty:
“There are no reconcentrados now.”